This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Talk, talk

Regarding the letter from Clarence Thomas Jr. in Saturday’s Telegraph, I respectfully have three questions:

1. Exactly what needs to be done to rectify the black-on-black crime rate?

2. Who needs to do it?

3. How long is it going to take?

Any guidance and immediate action to help end this horrific situation would be a lot better than the continual talk.

Nuclear power

The Telegraph printed a very small article saying the state of Georgia was going ahead with plans to complete two nuclear power plants along the Savannah River. These plants are already twice over what was budgeted, caused Westinghouse to go bankrupt, and never once have they said what they plan to do with the nuclear waste. Georgia was/is a state that exported electrical power.

Plant Arkwright is no more. How many other plants statewide have been leveled on the hope of a faulty replacement plan. What happens in case of a meltdown or earthquake. How about some kind of exposé to let us know all the facts. Inquiring minds want to know.

Big difference

I disagree with Kristen Daniels. The men who fought and died at the Alamo were not a bunch of fools. They did not die to prove they were tough. They were fighting for independence. They wanted to establish a new country. Did they know they would die? Did they hoped to be rescued? They knew that as long as the stood and fought, the Mexican army could not advance. Each day they fought was another day to form a Texas army. After the fall of the Alamo, the Mexican army moved on. As a result of the defender's valiant and heroic effort, the Texas army had grown and defeated the Mexican army. Texas became a republic. It became a state.

Individuals who do not evacuate in the face of a hurricane are fools. They are trying to prove they are resourceful and can overcome the forces of nature. Their prideful ignorance puts first responders at risk. After the storm, they have to go into devastated areas and rescue these braggers.

We see them on the news before a storm proclaiming they are free spirits. After the storm, they are the ones blaming the authorities for their predicament. They want know why did it take so long for them to be rescued? They want to be rushed to a shelter for care and relief.

There is a difference between standing your ground for a cause and staying put during a storm.

No tax money

I see in The Telegraph where some are upset that the nonprofit organization, regardless of the work or mission they take on, are losing tax dollars. They are exempt from paying taxes therefore they should not receive tax dollars. Presidents and political parties camouflage using tax dollars by giving to their chosen nonprofit organization in order to help finance their party’s interests.

Gerrymandering

Fair representation and choice are cornerstones of a American democracy. Throughout history, when people are not represented and do not have an equal voice in picking their elected leaders, democracy suffers.

Here in the South, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. championed the Civil Rights Movement to fight for equality. Now, though, it’s time for another civil rights movement in Georgia to ensure fair representation by reforming the way our state does redistricting.

Gerrymandering has become a major problem in Georgia, leading to less representation and choice. When politicians pick their own voters and manipulate voting maps, competition suffers since districts are so skewed for one political party.

In the 2016 election, only one candidate was running in 78 percent of Georgia’s congressional and state legislative districts. That means voters in just 22 percent of Georgia’s districts had an actual choice between a Democratic, Republican, or third-party candidate.

When competition suffers, so does democracy. When our elected officials gerrymander themselves into safe districts and don’t have to worry about reelection, they become less responsive to voters’ needs.

What’s worse than just the lack of competition and choice is that gerrymandering also leads to millions of voters essentially being disenfranchised. President Trump won 51 percent of the Georgia vote in the 2016 presidential election, but his counterpart Republican candidates running for Congress won 71 percent of congressional races.

That means our districts are not accurately representing the will of the people and are drawn to benefit one political party.

The problem of gerrymandering is not unique to Georgia. Democrats have undemocratically gerrymandered districts in states like Illinois and Maryland, while Republican gerrymanders in Wisconsin, North Carolina and Texas continue to be challenged in federal and state court.

Here in Georgia, we’ve seen the legislature attempt to racially gerrymander several districts within metro Atlanta; the most egregious of which were state House districts 40 and 111. With the push to redraw districts lines between Censuses, we are constantly defending the unnecessary changing of district lines after every election.

The Georgia General Assembly members, both House and Senate, are up for re-election every two years. This creates ample opportunity for the party in power under the Gold Dome to move district lines in an effort to protect the incumbent. We know that incumbent protection and partisan power is the basis for these efforts and we believe that this goes against the very tenants of democracy.

Despite the challenge and threat of gerrymandering both here in Georgia and across the country, there are tested solutions that have proven to stop this undemocratic process and create more choices for voters.

Independent redistricting commissions, such as the ones used in California and Arizona, have been proven to reduce partisanship while increasing competition and fair representation. Other states have adopted strong standards to ensure no one political party can game the system.

Georgia voters deserve fair maps that ensure choices and representation for all Georgians. Gerrymandering undermines our vote and voice, and it’s time to bring an end to the outdated and undemocratic process.

This story was originally published September 11, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, September 12, 2017."